The mother of University of Idaho murder victim Madison Morgen spoke publicly Wednesday for the first time since the 2022 quadruple murders.
Morgen, 21, and three other students, including her best friend Kaylee Gonsalves, 21. My roommate, 20-year-old Zana Karnodol. Kernodle and her 20-year-old boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, were stabbed to death on November 13, 2022, at their home just off the U of I campus.
“This is true, but I know where my girls are,” Morgen's mother, Karen Laramie, said Wednesday on “Today.” It's really foundational,” he said in response to a question on Wednesday's “Today” show. If you feel the gravity of your daughter's death two years ago is “reality.”
She described the 21-year-old as a “fun person” when he was younger and a really kind person as an adult.
“The door in our house was never slammed. … We had a string cheese fight once when she was eight years old because she didn't eat dinner. She had snacks, snacks, We were having snacks,” Laramie recalled. “And I said, 'Honey, no, you can't have string cheese because I'm going to make dinner.' And she slammed it on the counter and marched off to her room, and she and her husband, Scott, We looked at each other, “What happened there?'' It was so out of character. ”
She recalled when Morgen called her cousin on Veterans Day to thank him.
Two years after tragedy struck the university, Morgen's family, Gonsalves' family, and Kernodle's family joined forces to form the Made With Kindness Foundation. The foundation's website describes it as a “not-for-profit organization that stands as an inclusive beacon of hope for its founding.” In memory of and honoring Madison Morgen, Kaylee Gonsalves, and Zana Kernodle. ”
It has a mission to “partner with universities to provide scholarships, grief wellness seminars, and comprehensive safety awareness on campus.”
“We miss our kids, and if we can put our hearts into something positive, we're speechless,” Laramie told TODAY about the nonprofit.
Chapin's family has also established a charitable foundation called Ethan's Smile, which will provide scholarships to the University of Idaho for students from Skagit Valley, Washington.
Murder suspect Brian Kobegerger (30), former Ph.D. A criminology student at nearby Washington State University in Pullman is accused of stabbing four students to death in the early morning hours of November 13, 2022. Two other roommates survived the massacre.
Koberger's motives remain unclear, but he maintains he is not guilty of the gruesome crime. His trial is scheduled for August next year after repeated delays due to legal challenges.
When asked about her thoughts on the lengthy judicial process, Laramie said, “I feel that the legal system is not for the victims. I'll leave that aside.''
If convicted, Koberger faces the death penalty in Idaho.
